The below (and lots of others) all feature on my March 2022 playlist
'Life Is Undefined' was originally released as part of the four-track EP, 'Undefined', in November 2021. Here, Nadia has taken the song and stripped it back to its core elements to create a stunning variation.
The differences between this acoustic recording and the EP version are quite subtle. The previously released recording also begins with – and is centred round – some simple, stark piano melodies. But in the acoustic version, this piano underlay becomes a focal point and interestingly that seems to conjure a more haunting, poignant atmosphere. Nadia’s voice comes to the forefront more, and you find yourself noticing certain lyrics, too. “My lover turns to dust …"
There’s also a kind of stridency to the vocals, an added layer of passion and emotion, which hits you harder.
You can read more of my thoughts on this song and Nadia's February acoustic release 'IDWK' in my review for The Songbird. (Photo above: Birgit Murd)
The Mysterines - Reeling [Album] Wow. This is an absolute stormer of a record, as you'd expect from this band really. It's the debut album from The Mysterines, who have established a solid discography of singles already.
The opening track 'Life's a Fix (But I Like It So Much)' (alternative name also available - the album was released in "clean" and standard versions) really takes no prisoners - it kicks in instantly, and features some really effective sudden stops and silences. That's obviously not a new technique, but it's used really proficiently here.
After that fireball opening track, the rest of the record pretty much picks up that motif and runs with it for 12 more tracks. But by that I don't mean it's overly samey or repetitive: it's an album which is fully, unmistakably Mysterines, but one which stands as a showcase for the band's various moods. On 'Reeling', things slow down slightly, the music darkening and Lia Metcalfe drawing out her vowels to great effect. The next track 'Old Friends / Die Hard' has a certain tongue-in-cheek feel on the surface, but there's a hidden punch to it, too. In the centre of the LP is the darkly energetic 'Dangerous', released as a single earlier this year, and from there the band seems to channel elements of Americana with 'On The Run' ...
I think you get the idea - there are multiple variations on a theme here, everything infused with that dark, thick, purple-black tone which this band has made their hallmark. It's an accomplished record, setting down clear markers as to where the band is and where they're going.
Graywave - Build Released on 7 March, this track is a great example of Graywave's work. It follows on well from their EP 'Planetary Shift' (released in April 2021), but also hints at further maturity. There's something slightly more solid, or dense, about this one.
For the genre, it's quite short - not much over 3 minutes - and there's a lot packed into that time. A lovely wavy build (as you'd hope from the title), a drop down in the middle, and then a pulsating push towards a sweeping finish. Graywave definitely means business here - there's not a single second of time wasted.
Alex Jayne - Let's Be Friends I saw Alex Jayne supporting Dutch Mustard recently, and I recall her performing this one live. It's good to hear it in produced form - I like the way the vocals have been laid down with obvious care, and the way the other elements combine to create a definite atmosphere: it's evening-wandering, passing street lights, heart-on-sleeve stuff.